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Dan Patch aside, harness racing has never been big in Minnesota. The first harness meets at Canterbury were a complete flop. Canterbury was built on the strength of projected revenues considerably larger than reality (by the same crew that made the same glowing "projections" for Big Money if a track was built in Birmingham).
Canterbury does not prosper because Minnesotans prefer wagering on thoroughbreds to wagering on harness races. It prospers because it is an alternative to Mall of America for family outings in the daytime. On most days the soccer moms and kids seem to outnumber the bettors. Running Aces has night races. Different scenario. Different crowd. The interesting figures are not the total handle, but the total handle divided by number of patrons.
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